Chronology of China’s Micius Project
The groundbreaking 2017 paper [1] marked a historic milestone, showcasing the first entanglement demonstration using a satellite. Before this experiment, entanglement demonstrations had been limited to hundreds of kilometers, but this research broke barriers by achieving entanglement across an impressive distance of 1,200 km. This experiment was conducted in China with the Micius satellite and was part of a series of groundbreaking studies that propelled global quantum communication efforts forward.
Under the leadership of Jian-Wei Pan, the research team leveraged the Micius satellite to explore two crucial applications enabled by quantum communication satellites. Firstly, they demonstrated quantum key distribution (QKD) over the astounding distance of 1,200 km, thus laying the foundation for long-distance and secure communication methods. This breakthrough opened new possibilities for secure data transmission over vast distances, addressing critical challenges in modern communication systems.
Furthermore, the team showcased quantum teleportation using the Micius satellite. Quantum teleportation is an essential feature required for practical quantum networks and extends far beyond the realm of quantum key distribution. This accomplishment signaled promising prospects for realizing practical and efficient quantum communication technologies, with potential applications in various fields beyond secure data transfer.
The chronology :
- In 2003, the Chinese Academy of Sciences initiated a pre-study project, “free-space quantum communications,” to assess the feasibility of satellite-based quantum communications.
- In 2004, a significant milestone was achieved when entangled photons were distributed over 13 km through a noisy near-ground atmosphere in Hefei City, surpassing the effective thickness of the aerosphere.
- In 2007, the “Quantum Experiments at Space Scale” project received support from CAS, aimed at developing crucial techniques for conducting quantum experiments at the space scale.
- Also, in 2007, a groundbreaking achievement was made in quantum teleportation, covering a distance of 16 km over the Great Wall in Beijing.
- In 2010, extensive experimental verifications for ground-satellite Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) were conducted near Qinghai Lake in western China under varying conditions, including a moving platform, a floating platform, and a high-loss channel spanning 96 km.
- In 2011, significant progress was made with quantum teleportation and bidirectional entanglement distribution over an approximately 100 km free-space channel across Qinghai Lake. This demonstrated the successful handling of the challenging ground-to-satellite uplink and satellite-to-ground downlink channels.
- The official approval for the “Quantum Science Satellite” project was granted by CAS in 2011.
- Construction of the prototype satellite commenced in 2012.
- By 2014, the first prototype satellite and the observatory station in Xinglong were completed.
- In 2015, the flight model of the satellite was finished, and observatory stations in Nanshan and Delingha were completed as well. Experiments involving QKD, entanglement distribution, and quantum teleportation were conducted between the payloads of the prototype satellite and the Delingha observatory station over a 17 km distance.
- Throughout 2016, the satellite underwent a series of environmental tests, including thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, shock, vibration, and electromagnetic compatibility. Additionally, observatory stations in Lijiang and Ngari were completed.
- Finally, on August 16, 2016, at 01:40 Beijing time, the Micius satellite, weighing 635 kg, was successfully launched by a Long March 2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, marking a significant milestone in China’s quantum communication endeavors.
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Note: This article is a part of my Womanium Online Quantum Media Project. Find out about it here .
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